Cleveland native Halle Berry's Oscar for best actress for "Monster's Ball" gives her membership in one of Hollywood's most exclusive groups.

Only seven black actors, including Berry, have won an Oscar in 74 years of ceremonies. She is the third to win for a leading role, joining Denzel Washington, who won for "Training Day" last night, and Sidney Poitier, who won in 1963 for "Lilies of the Field." Poitier received an honorary Oscar last night for his pioneering work as a black leading man.

Besides Berry and Poitier, black actors who have won acting awards are Washington, who won best actor last night and best supporting actor in 1989 for "Glory"; Cuba Gooding Jr., who won supporting actor in 1996 for "Jerry Maguire"; Whoopie Goldberg, who won supporting actress in 1990 for "Ghost"; Louis Gossett Jr., who won supporting actor in 1982 for "An Officer and a Gentleman"; and Hattie McDaniel, who won supporting actress in 1939 for "Gone with the Wind."

Berry's victory produced cheers in her hometown.

"I'm just thrilled for her," said Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who met Berry at the Cleveland premiere of "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," the 1999 HBO biopic Berry starred in and produced. Dandridge, who was also a Cleveland native, was the first black actress ever nominated for a best actress Oscar, in 1954.

"I would say the win is long overdue," Tubbs Jones said. "Just as she portrayed with Dorothy Dandridge, Halle Berry is standing on the shoulders of a long line of great African-American actresses, and she busted through the door on their behalf."

Austin Allen, a filmmaker and professor of film at Cleveland State University, said the importance of Berry's historic win goes beyond her own success.

"I'm really happy," he said. "We have so much talent in Cleveland, and this will say something to all the other young women of Cleveland who are thinking of going into acting.